Southern-Style
A Downhome Perspective on All Things Southern

English Isn't Phonetic? Really?

The English language is regularly 85% phonetic.  The 15% that is not regularly phonetic is usually used togther with regular phonetic rules and can be figured out if the rules have been taught.  That is much easier than memorizing the look and shape of every word!  Using phonetic rules one can sound out a word and instantly connect it with a word one has heard and understand the meaning of its usage.  Guessing what a word might be from its shape and context is too haphazard to call real education.  Reading is not as Frank Goodman wrote in his definitive work, "a psycholinguistic guessing game."  (Reading, a Psycholinguistic Guessing Game)

Phonics                                                                              Whole Language